Good Monday morning from the Milken Institute Global Conference in L.A., where this morning I’m leading a political panel featuring Evan Bayh, Ed Gillespie, Jason Grumet of the Bipartisan Policy Center, Van Jones and Frank Luntz (who’s bringing a video). The 18th annual conference, at the Beverly Hilton, has 700 speakers, 170 sessions, and a capacity crowd of 3,500 CEOs, finance titans, Nobel laureates, philanthropists and other influential leaders from 60 countries. Per the organizers: “A special focus of this year’s conference is women and girls, an initiative reflected not only in the topics addressed, but also in the fact that nearly 30% of the 700 panelists are women.” #MIGlobal

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RYAN LIZZA in The New Yorker issue out today, “Profiles: The Virtual Candidate -- Elizabeth Warren isn’t running, but she’s Hillary Clinton’s biggest Democratic threat: “Last week, Warren’s advisers privately circulated a picture showing the two women sitting beside each other, a quote bubble emanating from Clinton: ‘What she said.’ ... In the past two weeks, in the wake of Warren’s forceful opposition, Clinton has backed away from a major trade agreement with Asian countries that, as Secretary of State, she had helped to negotiate. But, as Warren knows, Clinton can be an inconsistent ally. Her challenge over the next year and a half is to make sure that Hillary Clinton’s embrace of Warrenism is a lasting one. ...

“Warren tells her life story as a series of confrontations. ... One of Warren’s lesser-known skills is an ability to build unlikely alliances. For years, she has worked closely with Camden Fine, the head of the Independent Community Bankers of America, who is considered by some to be one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington. In the financial world, community bankers see themselves as representatives of Main Street America, and they are often at odds with the financial behemoths on Wall Street. ...

“At the top of the memo, in bold caps, it said: ‘DESTROY BEFORE READING. CONFIDENTIAL IN THE EXTREME. DO NOT FORWARD OR DISCUSS OUTSIDE THIS GROUP. LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS. PLEASE DO NOT EVEN SHARE THIS WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATIONS. THIS IS SENSITIVE MATERIAL AND ANY LEAK WHATSOEVER COULD CAUSE ICBA DAMAGE.’ ... Warren effectively co-opted Fine and his members as allies against Wall Street. ...

“When I questioned her decision to skip the Presidential campaign, she snapped, ‘You think I’m not forcing a debate? Call me back in a year, and ask me what type of debate we’re having.’” http://nyr.kr/1DPt25R

HOT ONLINE: Per Facebook, the video clip of Obama’s “Anger Translator” bit from Saturday’s dinner has been viewed nearly 25 million times. http://on.fb.me/1OX9T8l

MICHAEL WOLFF for USA Today, “For goodness sake, bring back Brian Williams”: “Williams must be sacrificed in an effort to maintain the network news fiction about gravitas and journalistic stature and credibility, a fiction far larger than Williams' own tall tales?” http://usat.ly/1EIFGdL

HOT IN HILLARYLAND --“Hillary’s never-ending cash dash,” by Glenn Thrush: “For nearly as long as there’s been a Hillary, there’s been a ‘Real Hillary.’ The Real Hillary Clinton, her friends have told reporters over the years, is down-to-earth, hilarious and self-effacing. ...But of course the Real Hillary, like the real anybody, is a tangle of conflicting virtues, flaws, talents, anxieties, altruism and avarice. She’s earthy and ‘funny’ just as her friends say — but there’s another side, too, a woman who is unnervingly single-minded in her pursuit of power, privacy and, at times, cash. ...

“[H]er insistence on delivering paid speeches until the eve of her campaign announcement reflected a deeper pattern of behavior stretching back decades, a drive to maximize the family earning potential during periods when she’s off the public payroll ... [During] the latter part of the 2008 primary season, ... Clinton’s campaign was deeply in debt, and the only way out was to pull $5 million from Clinton’s bank account. But no sooner had candidate Hillary Clinton agreed to do it, than the Real Hillary expressed second thoughts. Bill Clinton ... reassured her by saying, ‘It’s no big deal. … I’ll just make a few more speeches.’” http://politi.co/1JJsNOb

--CLINTON FOUNDATION ADMITS ERROR -- “A Commitment to Honesty, Transparency, and Accountability,” by Maura Pally, acting CEO and SVP of Women and Youth Programs: “[W]e will likely refile [our 990 tax] forms for some years. ... Our total revenue was accurately reported ... ?our error was that government grants were mistakenly combined with other donations. ... So yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don’t happen in the future.” http://bit.ly/1bvaRf4

--HILLARY OP-ED in Des Moines Register, name-checking four Iowans she met who illustrate her “four big fights”: “I'll be back soon. Thanks for having me, Iowa.” http://dmreg.co/1A5bL8e

CLICKER -- “The White House unveils the Obama state China service," ahead of tonight’s State Dinner for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan -- Architectural Digest's Hannah Martin: “The new 11-piece place settings (320 were made) are at once lively, practical, and resonant with meaning for the Obama family. ... While the distinctive ocean hue that appears on several of the pieces was named Kailua blue for the waters of the President’s native Hawaii, the gilt-edged white dinner plate is a nod to the history of the White House.” 4 pics on 1 pagehttp://archdg.st/1DBXEIT

** A message from Chase: We asked executives from small and midsized businesses to reveal the topics that are top of mind for today's leaders—from the national and global environments to regulatory concerns and the skills gap. Find out what their insights uncover about the current business landscape: http://bit.ly/blo2015 **

WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ WEEKEND -- “The year of the supermodel,” by Kate Glassman Bennett: “What was the most surreal scene of Washington’s glitziest weekend? Was it UN Ambassador Samantha Power talking about Turkey in the women’s restroom at the Washington Hilton until someone reminded her that she shouldn’t be so indiscreet at a party filled with reporters? Or maybe it was the moment a guest in the VIP reception asked Michelle Obama why she won’t run for president and she replied, ‘Because I’m not crazy’?” http://politi.co/1GnkwfS

43 SPEAKS -- “George W. Bush: I’ll stay out of Jeb’s way,” by Alex Isenstadt in Las Vegas: “Bush, appearing at a private dinner for Jewish Republican donors Saturday ... basically said, ‘I’m going to be out of the public eye.’” http://politi.co/1Ousdux

--“Bashes Obama on Middle East,” by Josh Rogin: “Obama, in his view, [is] placing the U.S. in ‘retreat’ around the world. He also said Obama was misreading Iran’s intentions while relaxing sanctions on Tehran too easily.” http://bv.ms/1FqbmmN

TRAIL MIX -- “Iowa 2016 GOP forum: 10 takeaways,” by James Hohmann: “Republican candidates are sharpening their attacks on the business community ... Rubio will play to win in Iowa ... Scott Walker showed range ... Mike Huckabee retains a significant reservoir of goodwill from 2008 ... Bobby Jindal’s strident, anti-gay marriage position will pay short-term dividends in Iowa ... Santorum doesn’t want to talk about social issues ... Ted Cruz is leaning harder on his record as a Supreme Court litigator ... Rick Perry made a Biblically inspired plea for a second chance. It might work. ... Rand Paul plans to be the leading crusader against abortion in the Republican field. ... Israel is more of a litmus test than ever before for evangelicals.” http://politi.co/1HJafim

--“Rubio To Brody File: There Is No Constitutional Right To Gay Marriage: “‘It doesn’t exist. There is no federal constitutional right to same sex marriage. ... You have to have a ridiculous reading of the U.S. constitution to reach the conclusion that people have a right to marry someone of the same sex.’” http://bit.ly/1GyB8ab

‏ ADAM NAGOURNEY has TWO A1 bylines in today’s Times – Off-lede (top of col. 1), fifth installment of “The Parched West” series, “DROUGHT FRAMES ECONOMIC DIVIDE OF CALIFORNIANS: WILL THE RICH CUT BACK? State Aims to Increase Rates for Those Who Use More Water,” by Adam Nagourney and Jack Healy, with Compton dateline http://nyti.ms/1EbS9Da

--Bottom of page, “G.O.P. Struggling With Shifts on Gay Marriage,” by Adam Nagourney: “Many Republicans said they were hopeful that the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex unions would not be the subject of prolonged debate beyond the initial burst of positioning.” [Good luck with THAT, guys!] http://nyti.ms/1OXbf2V

--NYT QUOTATION OF THE DAY – Mohammid Kabil, one of a dozen men sitting near the remains of the Dharahara Tower in Katmandu, Nepal, a revered monument that was toppled by the earthquake on Saturday: “We don’t have anyplace to go. We don’t have any clothes. We don’t have enough food. We don’t have medicine. We don’t know when we can go back into our homes.” http://nyti.ms/1z57m9Z

FOURTH QUARTER -- “Obama sending aides to Freddie Gray funeral [today] in Baltimore,” by Baltimore Sun’s John Fritze: “Broderick Johnson, assistant to the president and Cabinet Secretary, who also chairs the administration’s My Brother’s Keeper task force, will attend. Johnson, a Baltimore native, will be joined by Heather Foster, an adviser in the Office of Public Engagement. Elias Alcantara, with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, will also attend.” http://bsun.md/1dixpkm

FUTURE OF NEWS – WSJ B1, “Yahoo and Katie Couric Tweak the Recipe: It isn’t about home-page traffic, they say, playing up the staying power of interviews, thanks to social media,” by Keach Hagey and Douglas MacMillan: “Couric’s best-performing interview, a sit-down with ‘7th Heaven’ star Stephen Collins, addressing allegations that he had sexually abused minors, racked up five million views ... That is more than half of a typical evening news audience, ... and ... twice the views of the best-performing ... video on CNN.com, the No. 2 player in online news after Yahoo. ...

“Yahoo believes closing the gap with other digital video outlets will require distributing more aggressively through social media, rather than getting views through the home page, which now accounts for about 65% to 70% of news video traffic ... Couric, who reports directly to [Yahoo CEO Marissa] Mayer, [is] negotiating the renewal of her contract, which lapsed several months ago, but both sides are positive about their future together ... Couric has generated about 118 million views at Yahoo since coming on full-time in June.” http://on.wsj.com/1b64O0a

MILLENNIALS – “Burdened With Debt, Law School Graduates Struggle in Job Market,” by Elizabeth Olson on NYT B1: “About 20 percent of law graduates from 2010 are working at jobs that do not require a law license.” http://nyti.ms/1dix7u2

FIRST PERSON -- “A Buckley Comes Out: A Young Conservative’s Case for The Freedom to Marry,” by Sean Buckley on The Daily Beast: “As the grandson of former Conservative Party New York Sen. James L. Buckley and great-nephew of National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr., I believed that gay rights were inherently anti-conservative and anti-Catholic. But I began to reexamine my views after acknowledging a part of myself that I’d suppressed for years—I am gay. My family is loving and compassionate but they have been active in the fight to keep marriage limited to heterosexual couples.” http://thebea.st/1HMs9T5

TRANSITIONS ----“Under fire, Pence turns to former communications aide,” by Indy Star’s Tom LoBianco: “Gov. Mike Pence, suffering through dwindling public approval ratings and a pair of political debacles, is reaching back to Washington, D.C., for some help from a trusted aide. Pence announced ... that his longtime communications director from his time in Congress, Matt Lloyd, would be moving to Indianapolis, to direct the governor’s communications office. ... Lloyd is leaving his job running communications for Koch Industries.” http://indy.st/1HMvO3d

--Pabloa Manriquez to DNC -- Forthcoming release: “Today, the [DNC will announce] Pablo Manriquez [@Pablo_DNC] will join ... as the Director of Hispanic Media... Manriquez comes to the DNC after serving as a Washington Correspondent for Fox News Latino. ... During the 2010 midterm election cycle, he provided Hispanic digital and field outreach at the [DCCC] after serving as a Midwest Digital Director and Latino outreach specialist in the 2008 Obama campaign.”

--Mike Tuffin is joining the external affairs team at UnitedHealth Group, where he will head up a new public affairs function‎ as SVP, after 3 years as Managing Director of APCO’s Washington office.

WASHINGTON, INC. -- Amos Snead of Story Partners is launching a new firm: Bryant Row, LLC, “a strategic public affairs firm focused on influencing and shaping public opinion.” www.BryantRow.com

OUT TODAY – USA Today 1A, “After a decade of terror, Cleveland captives on their scars — and futures,” by Susan Page: “Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, freed two years ago after being imprisoned ... for a decade, believe there undoubtedly are other young women being held captive today in similarly desperate circumstances. ... Their 321-page book, published ... by Viking, is titled ‘Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland.’” http://usat.ly/1OurUQi$17.37 on Amazonhttp://amzn.to/1HMu7CJ

WEEKEND WEDDING – “Sarah Courtney, Timothy Mulvey” – N.Y. Times announcement: “Sarah Murray Courtney and Timothy Raymond Mulvey were married Saturday evening at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington. ... Courtney, 33, ... is a field producer in Washington covering the White House for Al Jazeera America ... Mulvey, 31, works in Washington as the communications director for the Democrats on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.” With pichttp://nyti.ms/1HJa2vH

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Craig and Lindsay Singleton (at State and DOJ, respectively) welcome their first: Henry Ascher (Hank) Singleton, born this week in Mexico City. The couple is posted at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Baby pic http://bit.ly/1J2rH07Pic of Craig cradling Hankhttp://bit.ly/1J2rAla

DESSERT –“Chipotle to Stop Serving Genetically Altered Food,” by Stephanie Strom on NYT B2: “In a first for a major restaurant chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday will begin serving only food that is free of genetically engineered ingredients. ... The shelves and cases in Whole Foods stores are to be free of products containing such ingredients by 2018, and Walmart is vastly expanding its selection of organic foods, which are free of genetic alteration by law.” http://nyti.ms/1z4hv6U

** A message from Chase: We surveyed thousands of executives and business owners from across the country to find out what they see as their top challenges—and what they expect for the year ahead. From the national and global environments to regulatory concerns and the skills gap, these perspectives provide a behind-the-scenes look at challenges and opportunities that influence the decision-making of today's leaders. Get all the information you need about the topics that are top of mind for today's leaders in our 2015 Business Leaders Outlook: http://bit.ly/blo2015 **

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About The Author : Mike Allen

Mike Allen is the chief White House correspondent for POLITICO. He comes to us from Time magazine where he was their White House correspondent. Prior to that, Allen spent six years at The Washington Post, where he covered President Bush's first term, Capitol Hill, campaign finance, and the Bush, Gore and Bradley campaigns of 2000. Before turning to national politics, he covered schools and local governments in rural counties outside Fredericksburg, Va., for The Free Lance-Star, then wrote about Doug Wilder, Oliver North, Chuck Robb and the Bobbitts for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he nurtured police sources on overnight ride-alongs through housing projects. Allen also covered Mayor Giuliani, the Connecticut statehouse and the wacky rich of Greenwich for The New York Times. Before moving to The Times, he did stints in the Richmond and Alexandria bureaus of The Washington Post. Allen grew up in Orange County, Calif., and has a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, where he majored in politics and journalism.